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Ford’s revealed the depth of the feeling local people had for the Royals. He expected these feeling would be on display during the day mourning period for the Queen ahead of her funeral at Westminster
State Review requested into Not-So-Splendid Byron Music Festival
By MARGARET DEKKER
Following serious concerns raised by Councillor Cate Coorey about “the many negative impacts created” by this year’s Splendour in the Grass music festival, Byron Shire Council will write to the state planning minister, Anthony John Roberts MP, requesting he instigate an independent review into the event, held in late July at North Byron Parklands, after torrential rain mired it in controversy.
Torrential rain overwhelmed the 2022 Splendour in the Grass festival onto the M1 ..’ ‘serious injuries such as broken bones, sprains and staph
infections occasioned by the muddy conditions ..’ and ‘inadequate crowd management.’
Byron Shire Council wants the NSW Department of Planning and Environment review to assess the ecological impacts, health and safety, social impacts, public amenity, business impacts and any other impacts on the Shire from the disastrous festival.
Council also seeks to be recognised as “the key stakeholder for the community and should contribute to the formulation of the terms of any review.”
Further, it wants assurances from DPE that the conditions of consent for onsite sewage management are being complied with, including compliance with local controls.
It also wants a new planning agreement about the future conduct of the event.
It follows a similar move by Tweed Shire Council last month to create a regulatory working group to liaise with the State government about what Mayor Chris Cherry described at the time as the festival’s “wide-scale traffc failures” with “a lot of very dangerous situations out there with young kids having to sleep on the highway.”
At last Thursday’s planning meeting of Byron Shire Council, Cr Cate Coorey also raised concerns about the process for fnal approval of “the site owners to hold increasingly larger, and more frequent, events at the site.”
The July festival saw approximately 50,000 patrons attend the event, an increase from 35,000 at the last ‘Splendour’ festival held pre-Covid in 2019.
“These concerns remained unheeded and many of them have now been realised at this latest SITG event,” Cr Coorey stated.
Cr Coorey also questioned North Byron Parklands’ self-monitoring of compliance;
“And that Council proposes that any consideration of ongoing events must include an independent monitoring process, with the involvement of Council,” she stated.
Cr Cate Coorey noted eye-witness accounts of myriad calamities at this year’s Splendour in the Grass festival “ .. as widely recorded by medical staff in local hospitals and clinics, and patrons and witnesses at SITG” including: • serious injuries such as broken bones, sprains and staph infections occasioned by the muddy conditions • the ‘super-spreader’ effect of COVID and other viral infections that emerged during and after the event • inadequate crowd management in the stage/tent areas
resulting in falls, injuries and patrons fainting • inadequate provision of frst aid or medical support and use of untrained security staff in lieu of frst aid personnel • lack of readily available drinking water despite the widespread provision of alcohol sales • excessive toilet queues and overfowing toilets resulting in widespread urinating and defecating on the ground with the potential for the spread of illness;
“ .. Combined with the high-water fow across the fooded site, urination and defecation outside of the toilet areas, these factors create the potential for serious contamination of the SEPP (Coastal Management 2018) wetland and resultant deleterious effects on the local ecology,” Cr Coorey’s NOM stated.
The fndings of the state, independent review would be used ‘as a basis for the manner in which further events may occur on the site.’
Byron Shire Council will seek community feedback “to inform any review of the event and to assist in future recommendations,” Cr Cooney said.
Byron Shire Councillor Cate Coorey
Cr Coorey’s notice of motion to Councillors raised damning concerns about the 3-day festival, including: ‘overfowing toilets resulting in widespread urinating and defecating on the ground ..’ ‘Traffc queues .. for several kilometres
It’s fnal - Brunswick Heads goes underground
By MARGARET DEKKER
In a sign of s hifting times and designs in ‘sleepy’ Brunswick Heads, Byron Shire Council has upheld its approval of a 3-storey, mixed-use ‘shop-top’ development, complete with the town’s frst underground carpark, despite strong community opposition.
Councillors Duncan Dey and Peter Westheimer moved a motion that Council rescind its June decision to approve the controversial $3.7 million development by Ewingsdale-based company, Commercial Seating Solutions, at 7 Tweed Street on entry to the historic port village.
However, the rescission motion was lost at the August 11 Meeting of Council with Crs Alan Hunter, Michael Lyon (Mayor,) Sarah Ndiaye, Mark Swivel, Sama Balson and Asren Pugh voting against it.
That’s despite a recent community petition with 704 signatures, calling on Council to ban underground carparks in Brunswick Heads.
Locals took to social media to express dismay at the fnal result.
“Wow wow wow, not sure about this, will change Bruns from a
Brunz modern artists impression sleepy lovely little town, had to happen one day. Quite sad really. Where will it stop now?”
The development application at 7 Tweed Street Brunswick was frst presented to Council in 2021 with public submissions raising concerns around height, access, fooding, gross foor area of the development which borders Veterans Lane, and the future ‘built form of Brunswick Heads.’
The proposed frst underground carpark for the town also came under attack.
“Underground carpark not appropriate for small village, impact of DA on fooding and water table, negative increase in traffc in small narrow lane, visual impacts on streetscape, development too big for this area of mixeduse zone,” one public submission stated.
“Underground car parks, by their nature create a sea of concrete at street level and there is nothing about a sea of concrete that is compatible with the streetscape of the back lanes of Brunswick Heads. I have seen a lot of DAs in this town but this one truly rocks me,” another stated.
The amended DA was also strongly opposed by the Brunswick Heads Progress Association.
It cited inconsistencies surrounding the character, bulk and scale of the proposed development and the underground carpark, as key concerns.
“The approval of an underground carpark will set a precedent for future developments in the B4 zone,” BHPA warned.
COMMUNITY BACKS IMPROVEMENTS TO BREATHE LIFE INTO JETTY FORESHORE
The Coffs Harbour community has given strong support for proposed improvements to the Jetty Foreshore, with a clear call for a revitalised waterfront to boost the local economy and bring jobs and investment to the region. The NSW Government
today released two reports detailing outcomes from extensive community consultation on the draft masterplan for the Jetty Foreshore. Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes Anthony Roberts said the results show overall support for development along the Jetty Foreshore to breathe new life into the precinct and create a thriving destination that locals and tourists want to visit. “We’re extremely thankful to the more than 3,600 people that completed the survey during our seven-week long consultation period and the thousands more we spoke to at our pop-ups, briefngs and meetings with Traditional Owners and Elders. “While we saw many diverse views on parts of the draft masterplan, what we heard loud and clear
is that there’s a clear case for change ensuring the unique, local character and sense of community is maintained,” Mr Roberts said. The report outlines shops and cafes as the most supported uses to create an active foreshore with 73 per cent of those surveyed in favour, followed by an activity hub adjacent to the Coffs Harbour Train station which received 68 per cent support. “The results clearly show what the people want prioritised for delivery within the next three years, namely foreshore parkland improvements, increased pedestrian connections, and improved carparking.” Local member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said while the community was divided about how much development was appropriate on the
foreshore, overall more people were in support than opposed. “Six in ten people who responded to the survey said they supported development of 2-6 storeys or higher, and the data suggests younger community members who responded to the survey were more likely to support taller buildings in exchange for improvements to create a buzzing atmosphere in the area,” Mr Singh said. Key statistics by subprecinct: Corambirra Point • More than 70 per cent of respondents support the addition of cafes, restaurants, and a function space, as well as creating a tourist destination at the former Deep Sea
Fishing Club site.
• Height levels of 3-4 storeys were supported by 45
per cent of the community, with a further 15 per cent supporting up to 8 storeys.
The Marina
• Over 80 per cent of respondents support pedestrian and carparking improvements to create a more vibrant marina. • Respondents remain divided about the proposed scale of development up to four storeys, with around 35 per cent strongly supportive and 32 per cent strongly opposed.
More than half of all respondents were overall supportive of development up to four storeys.
Foreshore Parklands
• Over 70 per cent of respondents support all proposed upgrades and ideas
regarding North
Park, the Billabong,
Dune Care & Wild play, and Family &
Youth Play (which was the highest priority for delivery). • Respondents overwhelmingly want to see the
Foreshore Parklands become a welcoming and inviting place for all, allowing public access to natural beauty.
Jetty Hub
• Around 68 per cent of respondents supported development in the
Jetty Hub, while 44 per cent suggested that up to 6 storey development spread over the Jetty Hub was appropriate. Respondents indicated they preferred development to be limited to the west side of Jordan Esplanade.
Mr Singh said the engagement with Traditional Owners and Elders highlighted that the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore is the heart of Gumbaynggirr Country. “We’ve learnt how this beautiful foreshore is an epicentre of connection with sites of signifcant spiritual and historical signifcance.” The NSW Government will now carefully consider the feedback and update the masterplan to refect an even more thorough consideration of community aspirations for the precinct.
